If Kyler Murray sits out on Sunday, it will add a quirky oddity to a game with playoff implications. Both teams could be starting former undrafted free agents who have never attempted a pass at the NFL level.
John Wolford is definitely starting for the Rams. Jared Goff underwent surgery on a broken thumb, and Wolford will be their starter. As outlined in the weekly, I have some interest in Wolford as a sneaky middle-of-the-pack quarterbacking prospect for this week. He’s been in that system for a few years, he’s a lot more mobile than Goff, and he was a successful quarterback at Wake Forest, with 29 TDs and 6 interceptions in his final season. A lot of the success for the Rams can be attributed to Sean McVay drawing up the plays, and that might be a lot more apparent after Sunday.
With Murray, he practiced some today and says he’s going to be fine. So looks like we won’t see Chris Streveler, who last year in the CFL finished with 6 more interceptions (14) than touchdown passes (8).
I have played around with the numbers some, looking at previous quarterbacks who went undrafted. There have been some good ones. Kurt Warner and Warren Moon are both in the Hall of Fame. Tony Romo, Case Keenum and Jeff Garcia. The Seahawks have had two notable undrafted quarterbacks: Jim Zorn and Dave Krieg.
But there are far more misses than hits when it comes to undrafted and unheralded quarterbacks.
Since 2000, 37 such quarterbacks have made it into starting lineups. Only seven of those guys threw multiple touchdowns in their first game, and only 10 passed for more than 250 yards. Collectively, they went 16-21 in those first starts.
As a group, those 37 completed just under 60 percent of their passes in their first games, averaging 211 passing and 12 rushing yards, with 35 TDs, 39 interceptions and 6 TD runs. They took 72 sacks (about 2 per game), which is lower than the league average over the past 20 years.
But if you’re in a Superflex league, it’s my opinion that Wolford should be in somebody’s starting lineup this week.
On the chart below, quarterbacks are in descending order by their fantasy points in their first start (using standard scoring).
| FREE AGENT QUARTERBACKS: FIRST STARTS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Opp | Result | Pass | TDP | Int | Run | TDR | Pts |
| 2001 | Todd Bouman, Min. | Ten. | W 42-24 | 348 | 4 | 1 | 27 | 0 | 36.1 |
| 2003 | Billy Volek, Ten. | Buff. | W 28-26 | 295 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 29.2 |
| 2020 | Taysom Hill, N.O. | Atl. | W 24-9 | 233 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 2 | 28.6 |
| 2018 | Kyle Allen, Car. | at N.O. | W 33-14 | 228 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 27.3 |
| 2011 | Caleb Hanie, Chi. | at Oak. | L 20-25 | 254 | 2 | 3 | 50 | 0 | 25.7 |
| 2018 | Nick Mullens, S.F. | Oak. | W 34-3 | 262 | 3 | 0 | -3 | 0 | 24.8 |
| 2019 | David Blough, Det. | Chi. | L 20-24 | 280 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22.1 |
| 2013 | Matt McGloin, Oak. | at Hou. | W 28-23 | 197 | 3 | 0 | -3 | 0 | 21.6 |
| 2007 | Shaun Hill, Min. | Cin. | W 20-13 | 197 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 21.1 |
| 2018 | Taylor Heinicke, Car. | Atl. | L 10-24 | 274 | 1 | 3 | 33 | 0 | 21.0 |
| 2013 | Chase Daniel, K.C. | at S.D. | L 24-27 | 200 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 0 | 19.9 |
| 2006 | Tony Romo, Dall. | at Car, | W 35-14 | 270 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 19.3 |
| 2020 | Garrett Gilbert, Dall. | Pitt. | L 19-24 | 243 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 19.0 |
| 2013 | Case Keenum, Hou. | at K.C. | L 16-17 | 271 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 18.6 |
| 2013 | Scott Tolzien, G.B. | at NYG | L 13-27 | 339 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 18.1 |
| 2013 | Jeff Tuel, Buff. | K.C. | L 13-23 | 229 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 17.2 |
| 2020 | P.J. Walker, Car. | Det. | W 20-0 | 258 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 0 | 16.7 |
| 2000 | Doug Johnson, Atl. | Sea. | L 10-30 | 233 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 16.6 |
| 2012 | Brian Hoyer, Ariz. | at S.F. | L 13-27 | 225 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 15.9 |
| 2006 | Cleo Lemon, Mia. | at Ind. | L 22-27 | 210 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 15.4 |
| 2012 | Thaddeus Lewis, Clev. | at Pitt. | L 10-24 | 204 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 14.5 |
| 2011 | T.J. Yates, Hou. | Atl. | W 17-10 | 188 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 14.4 |
| 2001 | Clint Stoerner, Dall. | Ari. | W 17-3 | 93 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 1 | 13.0 |
| 2003 | Tim Hasselbeck, Was. | N.O. | L 20-24 | 231 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 12.6 |
| 2014 | Austin Davis, St.L. | at T.B. | W 19-17 | 235 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.8 |
| 2019 | Duck Hodges, Pitt. | at LAC | W 24-17 | 132 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 11.4 |
| 2001 | Matt Lytle, Car. | at St.L. | L 14-48 | 126 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 11.1 |
| 2011 | Tyler Palko, K.C. | at N.E. | L 3-34 | 230 | 0 | 3 | -6 | 0 | 10.9 |
| 2007 | Matt Moore, Car. | Sea. | W 13-10 | 208 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10.9 |
| 2002 | Chad Hutchinson, Dall. | Sea. | L 14-17 | 145 | 1 | 0 | -9 | 0 | 10.4 |
| 2014 | Connor Shaw, Clev. | at Bal. | L 10-20 | 177 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9.8 |
| 2015 | Kellen Moore, Dall. | at Buff. | L 6-16 | 186 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 9.2 |
| 2007 | Quinn Gray, Jac. | at T.B. | W 24-23 | 100 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 |
| 2000 | Anthony Wright, Dall. | NYG | L 13-17 | 119 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 8.6 |
| 2010 | Max Hall, N.O. | N.O. | W 30-20 | 168 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.4 |
| 2007 | Brock Berlin, St.L. | at Cin. | L 10-19 | 153 | 0 | 1 | -16 | 0 | 6.1 |
| 2002 | Henry Burris, Chi. | T.B. | L 0-15 | 78 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 5.3 |
Statistics compiled using search tools at Pro-Football-Reference.com
—Ian Allan